Bryce Harper gets his revenge — Phillies make history in NLDS Game 3
Bryce Harper staring doing Orlando Arcia while stepping on second base after hitting his second home run of the game. Photo via Philadelphia Phillies.
It was a home run party at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night, and 45,798 Phillies fans lifted the lid off the ballpark.
The Phillies hit six home runs in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, tying the record for most home runs in a postseason game, winning 10-2.
Nick Castellanos started the party, blasting one to left field to tie the game at one.
After Game 2’s loss, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia mocked Bryce Harper‘s base running, shouting “Ha-ha, atta-boy Harper” repeatedly in the clubhouse. Harper was made aware of the situation, and he made Arcia pay.
With runners on first and third, Bryce Elder left a slider over the plate and the 2022 NLCS MVP did not miss it, giving the Phils a 4-1 lead.
The third inning was the explosion for the Phillies. They brought 10 men to the plate, got six base hits, and scored six runs. J.T. Realmuto capped off the outbreak with a two-run double in the left-field gap.
In Harper’s next at-bat, he went yard again. This time, it went into the bushes in dead center field.
While passing Arcia in his home run trot, Harper repeatedly gave him a stare. And man, if looks could talk.
Trea Turner, who made two errors in Game 2, also responded in a big way on Wednesday night. He smacked his first postseason home run as a Phillie into the first row over the left field wall.
After showing a segment on the broadcast highlighting former manager Charlie Manuel, Castellanos and Brandon Marsh hit back-to-back home runs. Manuel was about the long ball, and the Phillies certainly got a fair share of those in Game 3.
While the homers stole the show, Aaron Nola‘s performance cannot be overshadowed.
Nola, who is in the last year of his contract in Philadelphia, showed up big again in the postseason. He posted 5.2 innings, six hits, two earned runs, one walk, and nine strikeouts. His stuff was really good, again. And just as he did a year ago in Game 3 of the NLDS, he kept the Braves’ offense quiet.
The Phils look to finish off the Braves at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday in Game 4. The game is currently scheduled for 6:07 p.m. EDT but could be pushed back to 8:07 if the Arizona Diamondbacks finish off their sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Ranger Suarez will get the start in the possible series clincher, and Spencer Strider will try and keep the Braves’ season alive.
